Structurally-colored articles and methods for making and using structurally-colored articles

Abstract

One or more aspects of the present disclosure are directed to components having an optical element that imparts structural color to the component or article. The present disclosure is also directed to articles of manufacture including the component having an optical element, and methods for making components and articles having an optical element that imparts structural color.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An article of apparel comprising:
 a textile having a first surface, the first surface of the textile is defined by a first polymeric material, and the first surface of the textile forms an externally-facing side of the textile; and 
 an optical element having a first side and a second side opposing the first side, wherein the first side of the optical element is operably disposed on the first polymeric material of the first surface of the textile, and the optical element imparts a structural color having at least one hue on a portion of the externally-facing side of the textile; 
 wherein the optical element is a multi-layer reflector or a multi-layer filter comprising at least two adjacent layers having different refractive indices, wherein at least one of the layers of the optical element has a thickness that is about one-fourth of the wavelength of the visible light to be reflected by the optical element to produce the structural color. 
 
     
     
       2. The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the textile includes a first yarn comprising a first yarn polymeric material, wherein the first yarn forms at least a portion of the first surface of the textile, the optical element is operably disposed on a surface of the first yarn defined by the first yarn polymeric material, and the optical element imparts the structural color to the first yarn. 
     
     
       3. The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the textile is a woven or knit textile, and the woven or knit textile further comprises a second yarn comprising a second yarn polymeric material, wherein the second yarn forms at least a portion of the first surface of the textile, and the optical element is operably disposed on a surface of the second yarn defined by the second polymeric material, and the optical element imparts the structural color to the second yarn. 
     
     
       4. The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the textile includes a region of the first yarn polymeric material in which the first yarn has a non-filamentous conformation formed by softening or melting the first yarn polymeric material, and the optical element is operably disposed on the region having the non-filamentous conformation. 
     
     
       5. The article of apparel of  claim 3 , wherein the first yarn material comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane homopolymer or copolymer, and the second yarn material comprises a thermoplastic polyester homopolymer or copolymer. 
     
     
       6. The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the textile is a skinned textile, and an externally-facing side of the skinned textile includes a polymeric film forming at least a portion of the first surface of the textile, and wherein the optical element is operably disposed on a surface of the polymeric film defined by the first polymeric material. 
     
     
       7. The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the optical element includes 2 to 4 layers. 
     
     
       8. The article of apparel of  claim 7 , wherein a first layer of the optical element comprises titanium dioxide. 
     
     
       9. The article of apparel of  claim 8 , wherein a second layer of the optical element comprises silicon dioxide. 
     
     
       10. The article of apparel of  claim 9 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are adjacent one another. 
     
     
       11. The article of apparel of  claim 10 , wherein a third layer of the optical element comprises silicon dioxide and is adjacent the first layer on the side opposite the second layer. 
     
     
       12. The article of apparel of  claim 11 , wherein a fourth layer of the optical element comprises titanium dioxide and is adjacent the second layer on the side opposite the first layer. 
     
     
       13. The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the structural color has at least one hue selected from cyan, indigo, violet, blue, blue-green, and purple green. 
     
     
       14. The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the structural color is limited to one, two or three hues selected from a hue group, wherein the hue group is selected from the group consisting of cyan, indigo, violet, blue, blue-green, or purple green. 
     
     
       15. The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the hue is associated with a wavelength range in the visible spectrum, wherein the wavelength range is selected from: the range of about 520 to 490 nanometers, the range of about 490 nanometers to 450 nanometers, the range of about 450 to 400 nanometers, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       16. The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the structural color imparted to the textile is iridescent. 
     
     
       17. The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the structural color imparted to the textile is limited to one, two or three hues selected from a hue group, wherein the hue group is one of a) green-yellow, yellow, and yellow-orange; b) yellow-orange, orange, and orange-red; c) orange-red, red, and red-purple; d) red-purple, purple, and purple-blue; e) purple-blue, blue, and blue-green; and f) blue-green, green, and green-yellow; on the color wheel made up of red yellow blue (RGB) primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. 
     
     
       18. The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the structural color produced by the optical element is different from the color of the underlying textile surface. 
     
     
       19. The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein the article is a shirt, a pair of shorts, a pair of pants, a jacket, a sock, a hat, or a glove.